Nutrients for heart health:
How they can shield you from coronary disease

For years, scientists have wondered if certain vitamins, minerals and even herbal remedies might help stave off atherosclerosis, the buildup of fatty plaque on artery walls that often leads to heart attack and stroke.

They've conducted a multitude of studies of various compounds, especially antioxidants—microscopic good guys in the blood that help prevent damage from rogue molecules called free radicals. Left unchecked, free radicals injure LDL ("bad") cholesterol cells, causing them to cling to artery walls. In time, this action can give atherosclerosis a foothold.

Still searching
Doctors can't say for sure that antioxidants contribute to lower rates of heart disease. But the evidence suggests that vitamins A, C, beta carotene and especially E are beneficial.

People who eat a balanced, nutritious diet full of fruits and vegetables tend to have better heart health, while people who overindulge in fatty, salty meals with few fruits and vegetables tend to have greater heart disease risks.

But solid proof that these vitamins work "as advertised" in humans has so far eluded researchers. In short, these studies have been contradictory—some show tantalizing evidence, others only minimal support for the antioxidant-heart health connection.

Doctors point out, moreover, that these benefits seem to be apparent only when antioxidants are obtained from food. Antioxidant vitamins from supplements have thus far failed to protect patients from heart disease in several large studies.

Safe strategy
For now, the American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology recommend that healthy people stick to an overall heart-healthy strategy of diet, weight control and exercise that features:

• reducing saturated fat to less than 30 percent of daily calories
• eating five or more daily servings of citrus, fruits, berries and leafy green vegetables
• consuming no more than six ounces of lean red meat daily
• serving more fish, poultry, whole grains and low-fat dairy products
• keeping salt intake under 2,400 mg daily
• holding overall cholesterol to less than 200 mg/dL; HDL ("good") cholesterol above 40 mg/dL; and LDL ("bad") cholesterol under 130 mg/dL
• keeping blood pressure below 140/90 mm/Hg
• maintaining a healthy weight
• getting at least 30 minutes of aerobic exercise most days of the week
• taking a daily multivitamin as recommended by your doctor to get the recommended daily amounts of nutrients (beyond what your diet provides)

Do herbs help?
Despite manufacturers' claims, most medical experts agree that there's inadequate scientific evidence that herbal supplements like garlic, ginkgo, hawthorn or other compounds significantly improve cardiac function. In addition, the National Institute of Health cautions that herbs may cause unwanted effects and interfere with traditional medications. Bottom line: Never self-treat any condition with herbs without your doctor's approval.